With the new Ingenieur Automatic 40 IW328904, IWC Schaffhausen revisits the bold design of Gérald Genta’s iconic Ingenieur SL from the 1970s.

Although IWC introduced the Ingenieur in 1955, the name of this watch family is most frequently associated with Gérald Genta. During the 1970s, the legendary watch designer from Geneva created the Ingenieur SL, Reference 1832, detailing his artistic vision of a stainless steel luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. The Ingenieur Automatic 40 reflects the bold aesthetic codes of Genta’s iconic Ingenieur design while meeting the most exacting requirements regarding ergonomics, finishing, and technology.

This IW328904 model features a case, bezel and integrated H-link bracelet with butterfly folding clasp made of Grade 5 Titanium steel, all of which are elaborately finished with polished and satin-finished surfaces. Grade 5 titanium is about 45 percent lighter than steel but also incredibly hard to machine. The ergonomics of the case and bracelet have been carefully reworked and improved to the smallest detail. The 40-millimetre case and the newly engineered middle-link attachment ensure excellent wearability, even on a slender wrist.

The characteristic round bezel is screwed onto the casing ring with five polygonal screws. The grey dial features the distinctive “Grid” structure, which consists of small lines offset to each other by 90 degrees. Black hands and appliques with luminescence ensure easy legibility. At work inside the case is the IWC-manufactured 32111 calibre, whose pawl winding system builds up a power reserve of 120 hours. In keeping with the technical heritage of the Ingenieur, a soft-iron inner case shields the movement from magnetic fields. The 10-bar water-resistant case and the newly designed crown protection make the Ingenieur Automatic 40 a fully versatile luxury sports watch for the 21st century.